As it happens every year, the trade deadline gives us a plethora of rumors and hope for blockbuster transactions and major news stories, as front offices are glued to their phones while trying to determine their needs. While names like Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal, and Garrett Crochet were floated as potential movers, in the end, most teams were content to add depth and marginal improvements, as a clear seller’s market developed around the industry.
With two thirds of the league hovering within five games of a playoff spot, it became clear that the cost of contending would be high for even role players and relievers, not to mention premium pitchers or above-average hitters. According to MLB’s transaction tracker, teams combined to complete around 65 trades involving major leaguers during July, giving us a clear picture of each team’s intention and their standing in the competitive cycle.
The tradition of determining winners and losers comes naturally when the dust settles, even as many of these trades will only have a proper evaluation years down the road. With this in mind, we’ll try our best to label the biggest winners and losers of this deadline, along with a couple of teams who had a confounding approach to their transaction log. One thing is clear, though – the playoff race just got a lot more fun.
WINNERS
Baltimore Orioles: There was a lot of buzz around the possibility of Baltimore dealing from their surplus of young talent to add frontline starting pitching, and while it didn’t happen exactly in that way, the Orioles appear much stronger to navigate the final stretch of the season. A rotation that was full of question marks now boasts Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, while creative trades with the Phillies solidified the bullpen, with Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez now ready to protect leads and step up in case of any Craig Kimbrel incident.
While the Orioles have an enviable core, they were also able to address minor concerns, adding Austin Slater as an underrated lefty killer and Eloy Jiménez as a low-risk reclamation project with huge upside. With moves designed to maximize the 2024 playoff run and also add value in the longer term, Baltimore is primed to contend for several years on what remains a bottom-half payroll. The return of Jackson Holliday to the big-league club seems almost unfair at this point.
Miami Marlins: As it happens in most American sports, there is nothing worse than being stuck in the middle. It seems that the Marlins had no problem admitting that and embracing their awfulness, using an aggressive stance to shed major league talent in exchange for as many prospects as possible. On track for 100 losses, with a lame-duck manager, and a renewed front office, GM Peter Bendix will get a chance to truly start anew. Trading away Jazz Chisholm Jr., arguably the only marketable player on the franchise, became almost inevitable by late June, but the Marlins doubled down by also sending away closer Tanner Scott, first baseman Josh Bell, and pitcher Trevor Rogers.
It will be years before we can tell if the returns (which include prospects like Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, and Adam Mazur) create the necessary impact for a rebuilding team, but every move seems sensible and logical for a team facing a lost season. As usual, it is hard to trust the Marlins, but they did what they had to do.
Kansas City Royals: On some evaluators’ corners, it is argued that the Royals overpaid for what they got during this trade deadline. After all, trading two quality prospects like Mason Barnett and Cayden Wallace for relievers doesn’t sound too enticing, but context is always key in these transactions. The Royals survived a rough stretch of their season to remain a playoff contender, and that is just invaluable for a franchise that hasn’t sniffed October in a decade. While budget constraints and lack of top-shelf talent limited Kansas City in their pursuit of bigger names, the haul obtained during this deadline looks like a winning combination.
With a bullpen that has lacked a true shutdown closer, the Royals went ahead and obtained two underrated late-inning arms that can fill that role, as Hunter Harvey and Lucas Erceg should solidify the late innings. The addition of Paul DeJong will not generate many headlines, but it is exactly the type of deal a young team makes to get over the hump. If anything, the newfound enthusiasm at Kauffman Stadium is valuable to this franchise, and they have rewarded it with an earnest effort to contend.
Tampa Bay Rays: There must be something in the Florida water, because the Rays went ahead and also held a Marlins-like fire sale. However, this was mostly a retooling effort for a franchise that is used to this kind of roster churn, as Tampa remains only a handful of games out of the final wild card spot. Losing franchise stalwarts like Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, and Jason Adam is par for the course, while Zach Eflin went from biggest free agent in team history to traded in only 18 months – that is just the Rays modus operandi.
At the same time, the haul of acquired prospects and major-league talent like Christopher Morel and Dylan Carlson almost guarantee that the Rays will probably remain in the playoff hunt while also keeping a solid roster for 2025 and beyond. As it usually happens, we are left to wonder how this franchise would look with even a middling budget.
Honorable Mentions: Dodgers (landed Jack Flaherty, but failed to add impact bats), Yankees (Jazz is now a Yankee, but the lineup still looks too top-heavy, while the bullpen is not as solid), Phillies (may regret not adding more, especially as many of their early-season standouts have regressed).
STUCK ON NEUTRAL
San Francisco Giants: A four-game sweep of the Rockies just before the deadline may have altered the approach of Farhan Zaidi & Co., especially as the Giants had a few big-name upcoming free agents that could have commanded a prospect or two. Blake Snell’s opt-out made his status tricky, but he probably could have yielded a nice return if made available, while the likes of Michael Conforto and Matt Chapman seemed like solid veterans for contenders. Instead, the Giants took a soft stance to the deadline, dealing away Jorge Soler on a clear salary dump and trading Alex Cobb to the Guardians as part of a rotation surplus.
San Francisco’s only notable addition came in the form of Mark Canha, who is perennially underrated but will not move the needle much in a middling offense. The Giants are counting on Snell’s resurgence and the return of Robbie Ray as de-facto deadline additions that shore up the rotation, and having the NL’s easiest schedule may have played into the equation, but this lack of commitment from the front office will not play well for a fanbase that continues to grow restless.
Toronto Blue Jays: Speaking of disappointed fanbases, the Blue Jays may be reaching a tipping point, but their current regime failed to make a major change in a deadline where they could have jumpstarted that shift. While Bo Bichette’s recent injury issues made him almost untradeable, holding on to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may end up being a risky luxury for a franchise that doesn’t appear to have a clear path, especially in a division as loaded as the AL East.
The Blue Jays limited their transactions to upcoming free agents such as Justin Turner, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nate Pearson, and Yusei Kikuchi, but the return for them will probably not make much of a difference for a team that needs a deep reset. As Toronto plays out the string, they have retained enough talent to play spoiler, but that will be a small consolation for a franchise that held high aspirations for 2024.
LOSERS
Chicago White Sox: Just like the Marlins, but with better talent, the White Sox had a chance to truly tear things down and pick up the pieces. Instead, they only went with a half-measure approach that subtracted some of their coveted major-league talent. Tommy Pham, Erick Fedde, Eloy Jiménez, and Michael Kopech are among the traded players who are bound to help contenders, but Chicago held on to their two prized targets in Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., which is confounding when we consider their standing in baseball’s competitive landscape.
Crochet’s trade demands certainly played a role, but GM Chris Getz failed to make the most of this opportunity, while the current roster is saddled with an unfathomable 17-game losing streak and on pace to have a 120-loss season. These are dark days around the South Side, and it is hard to think of the light at the end of the tunnel.
Houston Astros: While the Astros have been a fixture of aggressive deadline deals in the past, 2024 presented yet another opportunity to do something significant. Alas, Houston decided to take a cautious approach this time around, with Kikuchi representing the biggest addition to their roster. In a season in which they stumbled out of the gate only to emerge as their usual contender selves, it seems as if the Astros failed to capitalize on their momentum, especially as the Mariners at least tried to fortify their offense.
With a glaring hole at first base and several questions around the pitching staff, not to mention the heavy competition in the rest of the AL, the Astros may come to regret their inaction during this deadline. Even as their spot in the ALCS almost seems like a yearly tradition, this may be the season where it all ends.
Honorable Mentions: Red Sox (added on the fringes and took a flier on James Paxton, but now they look clearly behind other Wild Card contenders), Guardians (adding Alex Cobb was an inspired choice, but hardly enough to match other AL powerhouses).